Appreciation

This may seem a little Polly Anna, corny or whatever you would like to label it; BUT it is very important that we make sure that the people who are helping us in our job search are appreciated. That means the people who take the time to meet with you for an informational interview, the mom, neighbor, former colleagues, bosses, and the people who have written you recommendations.

In the job market or lack of job market today it is all about the connections that you have, maintain, and the newly acquired. It is these people that will be the best assets (besides your own skills) you can have. It just takes a simple thank you note, so make sure you have then in hand at all times, and stamps. If you have a mailing address go ahead and spend the extra time to send your thanks snail mail. It means more then a hurried e-mail, and looks nice too. If you don’t have a physical address go ahead and e-mail but try not to text your appreciation. Texting an appreciation just seems lazy. Even our closest friends deserve a not in the mail.

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The Joys of Job Hunting (HIDEOUS!!!!!!!!)

How many interviews have you been on? Personally I’ve been on quite a few (don’t judge I’m getting interviews but not a job, and lately no interviews). Each time, whether it is a phone interview or in person interview, I get prepared. You know the routine: study up on the company, find out their mission statement, what is their most recent accomplishment, who are the top dogs, etc. Then you formulate questions accordingly.

I recently went on an interview that was kind of the same as all the others. You go in say hi to the receptionist, introduce yourself, and state who you’re there to meet with, and then take a seat as directed. You wait patiently, you watch the employees that you may be working with, and wonder if you’ll fit in. You wonder if you’re dressed appropriately (I usually wear a suit no matter what).

I waited for quit some time, and then I ended up interviewing with a person that I wasn’t scheduled to interview with because the scheduled person was running late (things happen I get it), who wasn’t familiar with my resume and or credentials, and had no idea why the original person had called me.  I know, we’re the ones at their mercy but gee wiz! This person was trying to get me to work as a financial Amway (not Amway but like Amway in its operations) sales rep. It was basically a network financial planning gig where no one has to sell anything but the people underneath you do. Wha, wha, what!? Plus he was actually a graduate out of Clown College (picture Cam from Modern Family in his clown outfit; that’s where I went in my head), and had worked for Ringling Brothers, as a clown of course. There is nothing wrong with being a clown, or selling financial services but the combination of Clown School, and networking like Amway, and it was sold to me as easy….I KNEW I would be struggling to make $1. No one in that office had the look of success to them. They looked tired, beat down, & were trying really hard to appear enthusiastic.

I’m sure you’ve all been on interviews like this where you can’t help but wonder is this legit? They can’t be serious. Or what about the Craigslist ads that you submit your resume to, and all of a sudden you get an e-mail back saying the position is filled but they have another one in mind that deals with the transference of money (oh brother)! Isn’t it hard enough to be rejected everyday without some clown trying to take advantage of your hardship, and scamming you because you need a job so desperately?

This has been the hardest year of my life!!!!!!!!! THE HARDEST!!!!!! I need some pity, charity, apathy, and a JOB!!!!!!!

Check this clown out. I feel like just like this clown, and I’m about to die!

 

 

 

 

 

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Endurance

U.S. Air Force Airman Matthew Bernard (foreground) wears a water filled mask while performing flutter kicks after a non-stop physical training during an extended training day at the Pararescue Indoctrination Training Center. Location: LACKLAND AFB, TEXAS (TX) UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (USA) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The other night I was watching a Discovery series called: “Surviving the Cut“. It is about the US military special training for Marines Recon, Air Force Pararescue, Army Rangers, etc. It was amazing. I felt like these men were animals in the drive they had to get into these training programs. My nephew is in the Army Special Forces, and was a Ranger before that. He is a dedicated young man but I had no idea until I watched this program just how driven he is.

I started thinking about the whole unemployment search I’ve been going through, and comparing my dedication to theirs. I have to admit there was no comparison. These men would be up for 24 hours or more going through grueling tasks. Crawling in the mud with their faces in the mud until they reached the top of a hill, and having to start over if they raised their heads out of the mud. The training that got me was the Marines Recon and Air Force Pararescue. These men had to do so many water endurance obstacles that I would have given up in about 15 minutes. I would have drown from exhaustion within 5 seconds during a lot of these exercises. These men when interviewed, had something to say in common: “It is mind over  body.”

Now let’s look at the unemployment obstacle course. How many of us don’t even force ourselves to get out of bed in the morning? How many of us put forth a strong 8 hour day looking for work, and or networking? This too is an endurance test of both mind and spirit. We don’t have to go through physical endurance but we do have to go through mind and spirit endurance every day that we face being unemployed.

We need to be our own Master Sergeants motivating us not to quit, to double our efforts. Our lives really do depend on us getting a job. You cannot live in this country without a job. Yes, you can exist but you cannot live. Gee wiz you can’t even purchase a lot of  jeans now for less then $100! Gas keeps going up, food prices are ridiculous, clothing is completely out of control, and housing in major cities is pretty much unaffordable. You must get a job. It isn’t a choice, it is a necessity.

Get your face in the mud of unemployment, and don’t come up until you have a job. Suffer the humiliation with dignity knowing that the reward on the other side is well worth it; a paycheck, and doing a job well. We can do this: mind over matter.

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Friends in Business Make Bad Job References

Bad references. How on earth do you handle them? Some of you may be lucky enough not to have any especially if you’ve just started your life in the business world, but for the rest of us that have been out here for awhile their is usually one that we may have.

I have simply not given that person or company as a reference OR if there is a box to check that says do not contact I will mark that box. My bad reference comes from a woman/former friend/neighbor/Graphic Designer who wanted to grow her business. I loved her, and her daughter so she told me that I could be her part-time Nanny and then assist her in work overflow and getting new business the rest of the time. I was thrilled. I was going to be able to walk to work, hang with a child, AND do business stuff until the business grew, and the child started pre-school. It was a dream come true, or so I thought.

I know, you’re all shaking your heads. How on earth would I decide to work for a neighbor/friend? We all know never go into business with a family member or a friend because it will not end well. One year-and-a-half later it did not end well. I was devastated. The business owner decided that growing her business was too hard, and that the money she was making working on contract work was plenty for her; not for me, but for her. So, she decided that she wanted to go back to a one-person show. That shouldn’t matter right? Well, I believe that, in order for her to feel good about letting me go she located reasons to dismiss me. Given, she hired me to do payroll, keep track of taxes, and invoicing; I was ill experienced in this, and I told her that, and she thought that was fine and that I could learn (red-flag). I really don’t know what I was thinking. Women, emotions, her marriage falling apart, her daughter growing up, etc. and there I was in the middle with my own set of issues. It was a bad, bad, BAD idea!

With all that said she is now not a good reference for me but she is a job that I had. I do have a letter of recommendation from a client that we had who found it impossible to work with this Graphic Designer because she would get unreasonable sometimes, and I would have to step in to smooth things down (this was our biggest client at the time, and we couldn’t afford to loose them).

Anyway I’ve never known how to handle this situation when interviewing and giving references without sounding bitter or disgruntled. I found this article that I hope you, too, will find helpful on this topic of Bad References. Enjoy and happy Friday!

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Look for the Extraordinary

Careerbuilder.com fraud email (Photo credit: Nathan Rein)

Look, I find that when I’m looking for a job (which is currently) that craigslist.org, and Andrew Hudson Jobs List have been where my time has been the best spent. I’ve actually kept tallies of the jobs I apply for, what job board it came from, and these 2 listings have been my best bet. Of course when you go to craigslist you can’t be an idiot. There are so many scams out there it is crazy! I get one from careerbuilder.com nearly every week about a position that is usually in some kind of financial field, and they will pay big bucks if you assist them in their overseas transactions. You could lose your shirt if you did anything for those people.

One thing I’ve done that has been helpful has been when they give me the name of the company I will google it to see what kind of company it is. Many times it looks quite legitimate but you need to connect the dots. There was a company that had quite the website for exotic cars but once I read more closely I was able to figure out it was a scam. So sad…we’re already unemployed isn’t that enough punishment; do you have to take us to the cleaners too?

Any Ideas? “They” Want To Hire But Remain Illusive

It sure takes a lot of thinking to come up with new and creative ideas to blog about; especially if you’re blogging about being unemployed while looking for work. It feels a little redundant in a way. I mean, what kind of expert can I be if I can’t seem to find a job myself? Of course I’ve never professed to be an expert. I guess I’m a bit of an expert when it comes to sarcasm, humor, and looking at the lighter side of; what some may consider unpleasant.

It is challenging to be unemployed. Everyday is a new day that needs to be approached in a creative way. Take stock of what is working, and get rid of the routine that isn’t. I have a very tough time NOT sending my resume to all the job board postings. I have found that my energy spent there has been, for the most part, futile. You can spend an entire day doing that, and not get one response back. It really is a tremendous waste of ti

me, at least for me.

I am the absolute worst at making phone calls. Gee wiz…what do you say? “Hi, I am calling ab

out the position you posted on such and such site.” Or “Have you filled the position yet?”

EXPERT (Photo credit: Pete Prodoehl)

Yes, I’ve heard time and time again that you need to find out the hiring manager’s name. How the bleep do you do that? I’ve been told by “the experts” that you call and pretend that you’ve forgotten the name of the person that would be (by your estimation) the person that would be hiring for said job posting. I’ve found that there are so many company job titles out there that you don’t even have any idea who would be that person.

LinkedIn has been somewhat helpful, and actually more helpful then anywhere else for job, and company information. Through LinkedIn I’ve networked, I’ve tried connecting, I’ve joined different groups, I’ve researched companies, and I’ve tried finding the people I need to connect to, and they are inevitably blocked from me. All in trying to make ONE successful contact that will assist me in getting a job.

UGH!

Don’t Get Discouraged. Do Volunteer!

Okay this is easier said then done. Trust me, just look at the post I made about making a half court free throw as a viable answer to my unemployment. It isn’t easy staying positive but that is probably one of the most important things you can do while you’re unemployed. I know, we have all of these HR Advisers telling us unemployed masses

Unemployment (Photo credit: Dekonstruct2009)

that we need to be positive and all other sorts of advice. I don’t know about you, but sometimes I think: “Really? I have bills stacking up, my unemployment is drying up, my personal relationships are suffering, and I can’t get anyone to look at my resume!” How on earth do you stay positive?

I have found that volunteering has helped my attitude a tremendous amount. I chose to volunteer for the public school system, and the feeling I get working with the teachers and the kids has been wonderful. The teachers are concerned for me, and actually give me recommendations for employment if they come across something in my field (marketing not teaching), and the kids are always so happy to see me. This experience has boost my situation 10 fold, and I recommend it to everyone.

Whatever your passion is you should volunteer in some capacity. In the past I have volunteered with environmental organizations, tutoring, etc. Our communities need us, and if we can’t be employed we can fill a need elsewhere in our communities. The feeling you get will be astounding. It is hard to feel like you are important when you can’t contribute to your family’s well being the way that you used to. You may often feel like a deadbeat or even possibly a burden to those around you. Volunteer. You will feel so much better, and your job hunt will feel less daunting because there will be a whole community on your side.

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Resume Highjinks

Ok. I’m sure that all of you in the job market are going to resume workshops, having professionals write them for you, and or listening to so many rules, regulations, and information that you are on resume overload. I really liked this article because it says that a resume should be a reflection of who you are, and the only rule you should follow in your resume is it should be accomplishment driven. The rest is up to you. Of course, keep in mind you shouldn’t ever have grammatical errors, or spelling errors. Also make sure there are absolutely no type “o’s”.

http://www.net-temps.com/careerdev/crossroads/index.htm?op=view&id=4669&newsletter_id=1055&archive=1

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Monday, Monday blah, blah, blah, blah, blah blah….

(The title to this should be sung Monday, Monday by the Mamas and the Papas).

Man, I really have the hardest time getting motivated to start the job search all over again on Mondays. Yes, I know I should be looking on the weekends too but, admittedly, I don’t. I have a hard time getting back on my schedule of 8 am – 5 pm job search. I self talk about how I need to keep my momentum going, I give myself a little push to the coffee pot and shower, and then I find all sorts of things to preoccupy my time. Let me tell you what I’ve done with my morning so far…..

1. Woke up around 9 am (I usually wake up at 8 am)
2. Made coffee
3. Got online
4. Read my horoscope
5. Checked for jobs on Craigslist.org
6. Then I worked on downloading the music from Monday, Monday by the Mamas and the Papas to this post.
7. Took a shower
8. Posted the Most Sophisticated Dog in the World weekly saying on my Facebook page
9. Wrote this blog post
10. Simply sad…..

I wish I could stay motivated. I had a job interview Friday, and I thought it went really well. I find once I have an interview with a company that I want to work for, and it goes well I sit on my laurels instead of keep going. Shame on me!